From the German Culture Minister to an Israeli-German comedian, here's how people reacted to the announcement that the United States plan to leave the United Nations' cultural body.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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The United States will be leaving the United Nations' cultural agency at the end of 2018, the US State Department told UNESCO on Thursday.
A few hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his country is also preparing its withdrawal from UNESCO.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, whose successor will be named on Friday, said that she deeply regrets the United States' decision and that the withdrawal of this close partner was a loss for the "family of the United Nations."
German Culture Minister Monika Grütters also reacted to the news in a press statement, saying that the the decision was sending a "completely wrong signal at this point." In a context of growing global crises, she believes that a strong and reliable international cultural policy is essential, she wrote in a tweet:
Olaf Zimmermann, director of the German Cultural Council, described the withdrawal as a "severe blow to international cultural cooperation."
Along with the representatives of major cultural institutions, German-Israeli comedian Shahak Shapira posted a comment on Twitter, pointing out the irony that the US should leave UNESCO to defend Israel while Donald Trump hesitated to condemn neo-Nazis in his own country – in reference to the US president's reaction to the events in Charlottesville. "That's exactly my sense of humor!" he wrote.
The US State Department's statement said that the decision to withdraw from UNESCO was based on a "continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO."
UNESCO, which stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is one of the United Nations' 16 bodies. It aims to promote international cooperation in education, culture and communication as a contribution to peace and security. "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed," stated the 1945 constitution of the cultural agency.
What does UNESCO do?
The UN's educational and cultural arm is best-known for naming World Heritage Sites. But UNESCO is also tasked with managing a series of other programs. DW looks at some of the other things UNESCO does.
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Name World Heritage Sites
UNESCO is responsible for identifying and promoting landmarks across the world that it considers to be of "outstanding value to humanity." Whether the sites are manmade wonder or part of Earth's natural beauty, they are listed they become legally protected by international treaties. Notable World Heritage landmarks include the Colosseum in Rome, the pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China.
Image: Reuters/A. Bianchi
International Literacy Day
One of UNESCO's main educational programs is World Literacy Day, held every year on September 8. The date highlights the importance of literacy to individuals and impoverished communities. Particular attention is placed on boosting literacy rates among girls in developing countries As part of the program, schools and teachers are provided with training and materials aimed at encouraging reading.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/S. Shahzad
Holocaust remembrance and education
While the United States and Israel both announced that they will quit the body, citing anti-Israel bias, UNESCO has increasingly worked in recent years on promoting Holocaust awareness projects, such as providing educational material and organizing visits to former Nazi concentration camps.
Image: picture-alliance/Schoening
Combating climate change
As part of UNESCO's task to preserve World Heritage Sites, the body also aims to improve education and awareness of climate change. The UNESCO "Man and the Biosphere Program" monitors the effects of climate change and promotes new, multidisciplinary approaches to dealing with its impacts. The organization also seeks to improve worldwide education around the causes and affects of global warming.
Image: Getty Images/L. Schulze
Endangered language projects
UNESCO is also tasked with identifying and trying to preserve endangered languages. One of the UN organization's reports, "Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger," categorized almost 2,500 languages into five levels of endangerment. It found that 200 languages had become extinct over the last three generations, while around 60 to 80 percent risk becoming extinct within the next 100 years.
Image: Sebastian Drude-DoBeS
Freedom of expression and protection of journalists
Along with the UN's Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, UNESCO calls for the worldwide protection of journalists and decries those who show impunity against freedom of the press. The organization reports and raises awareness around cases where reporters have been threatened or even killed. It also helps reporters in dangerous regions receive safety training.
